Activision requests pause in lawsuit to investigate alleged ethics violation by DFEH
If the allegations are proven true, it could have serious ramifications for the lawsuit.
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What you need to know
As found by Axios reporterStephen Totilo, Activision Blizzard is requesting that the courts pause theongoing lawsuit against the companyin order to investigate claims of “alleged ethics violations” by California laywers. Activision Blizzard further states that if the allegations are true, the entire lawsuit should be disqualified.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is alleging that the Department of Fair Housing and Employment (DFEH) lawyers committed a major ethics violation by having two former EEOC lawyers help head up the DFEH lawsuit, then objecting toActivision Blizzard’s settlement with the EEOC. This settlement will see Activision Blizzard create an $18 million fund for “eligible claimants,” with any money not claimed going to women’s charities and raising awareness of workplace harassment.
Activision Blizzard and its leadership, including CEO Bobby Kotick, are currently beingsubpoenaed by the SEC. Several senior developers have been let go from Blizzard Entertainment, including the original game director on upcoming action-role playing gameDiablo 4and thenamesake for Overwatch hero McCree.
The DFEH states that Activision Blizzard hasnot cooperated with the investigation, though Activision Blizzard maintains that it has complied with “every proper request.” Activision Blizzard is also being charged withviolating labor laws, with Tom Smith, national organizing director at the Communications Workers of America, stating that “…Activision Blizzard’s response to righteous worker activity was surveillance, intimidation, and hiring notorious union busters.”
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Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. You can find him on Twitter@SamuelTolbert.
